Sound-box for talking-machines



A. C. DIEI'IL. SOUND 80X FOR TALKING MACHINES. APPLICATION mm luv :1.ma. mums um. n. 1920.

INIIINTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT O. DIEHL, OF PENSAUKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 VICTOR TALKINGMACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOUND-BOX FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Application filed May 81, 1916, Serial No. 100,880. Beneswed January 17,1920. Serial 110 352333.

T0 at! whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT C. DIEHL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pensauken, in the county ofCamden, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful 1mrovements in Sound-Boxes for Talkin achines, of which the following is aspeci cation. 7

My invention relates to that type of sound boxes, comprising a diaphragmand stylus, adapted more especially to reproduce recorded sounds from adisk record whereon such sounds have been recorded as laterallyundulating sound grooves; such disk record being operatively rotated,for reproduction purposes, in a horizontal plane, while the sound box,including its stylus, is operatively positioned relatively thereto, in avertical plane.

My improvements in such a sound box, have for their object the provisionof means to adjust the relative tensioning of the diaphragm and thespring mountin of the stylus bar coacting therewith; an then to fixedlylock such mounting, when such adjustment has been obtained, to the endthat the tonal quality of the sound produced thereby may be regulatedand controlled; and these objects are attained by substantially fixedlypositioning the tensioning spring members on the stylus bar mounting andavoiding the usual sliding contact between said sprin members and theparts coacting therewit reducing such contacting surface to a minimum;providing facility of adjustment of the elements which reg- *ulate thespring controlled stylusbar; andlocking the combined and coactingelements in fixed operative position after the proper adjustment hasbeen efi'ected.

n the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, igure 1 is a sideelevation of my improved sound box; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;F ig.v 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view, illustrating the mounting ofthe stylus bar and the means to adjust it; Fi 4: is a section on line 44of Fig, 3, showing the spring under action of the regulating member;Fig. 5 is a side elevation of part of the sound box, broken away; Fig. 6is a side elevation partly in section of a form of mounting encirclingthe stylus bar; Fig. 7 is a plan view thereo and Fig. 8 is a like viewof Fig.6 showing the reverse side of the ring member of. the

mounting; Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig.7 and Fig. 10 isanother section of Fig. 7 on line 10-40 thereof; and Fig. 11 is a bottomplan view of the stylus bar mounting in a slightly modified form fromthat shown in Fig. 3.

In all sound boxes of the general character shown in the drawings-abovereferred when struck gives a sharp or flat-tone as compared with thetone obtained from a socalled standard sound box. My improvements enableme to adjust the tonal effect or pitch of a diaphragm from sharp toflat, or vice verse; to provide in connection therewith, a certainspring tensioning of the stylus bar; and to lock the stylus bar mountingin adjusted position when the proper relative adjustment of theelementshas been obtained. These results may be effected with facilityand accuracy, and without liability of subsequent derangement.

The sound box comprises a casing 1 in which is mounted a diaphragm 3;the rear ofthe sound box consisting of the back 2 by means of which itma be connected in the usual manner to a talking machine. The stylus bart is connected at its upper end to the outer face of the diaphragm 3 andat its lower end is pivotally mounted as hereinafter described. A stylusor needle 5 is held within a socket in the lower end of the stylus barby means of the thumb screw 20.

Upon the lower edges of the sound box there is fastened, by the screws88, a plate 7 with lugs or wings 6-6 which conform to and partiallysurround the" ring member 9. An extension on the lower portion of thestylus bar is provided with lugs 18. which clamp the ring member betweenthem, and, coacting with the screw 19 in the countersunk hole 12,rigidly secure the ring to the stylus bar.

In the lugs 6 of the plate 7, two set screws or studs 15 are oppositelypositioned in alinement with each other, and on these screws are theusual lock nuts 16. The free tapered ends 17 of the studs or screws 15are cupped and the cupped portions thereof are lll) ada ted to engagerespectively with the sma l hardened steel balls 25 positioned in therecesses 11- of thesteel ring 9. These steel balls 25 protrude slightlyfrom their recesses ll. When the studs 15 are properly adjusted, thering member, stylus bar, balls, and studs or screws are all in alinementwith the axis upon which the stylus bar oscillates, and all the partsare in firm contact with adjacent parts, but the stylus bar is free tooscillate smoothly upon substantially pivotal bearings between thecupped ends 11 of the screws 15 and the balls 25. This direct, firm,positive contact between the ring 9 and the steel balls seated therein,and between the steel balls and the cupped ends of the set screws 15 isreadily obtained, because any desired degree of pressure may be appliedto them through the balls 25 to the resilient ring 9 by suitablyadjusting the set screws 15. Thus, while movement of the stylusbar uponits axis is smooth and uniform, there is no looseness between the partswhich might introduce undesirable local vibration. Moreover, any wearwhich might occur from the continued use of the sound box may becompensated for by the set screws 15.

The construction and form of the steel rin 9 in other respects isclearly illustrated in igs. 4 to 8 inclusive. Fig. 7 shows the two cuts23-23 extending through the ring 9. These cuts 23 form at this place inthe ring, two outer portions 13-13 and an inner or intermediate portion14. Each of the outer portions 13 is provided with a cut 22 extendingthrough to the adjacent recess 23 and these cuts 22 are respectivelyadjacent the opposite extremities of the intermediate web or member 14.The intermediate web 14 is not so cut or severed, however, and forms aresilient portion of the main ring, but of less cross-sectional areathan the adjacent full section portions 9-9 integral with saidintermediate portion 14. The full-section portion of the ring9-9.substantially terminates at the ends 2727 of the slots or cuts 23.The operation involved in making the cuts or apertures 23 and the cuts22 is one of milling machine practice. Similarly, by means of a millingcutter, portions of the intermediate web 14 are removed to formsubstantially peripheral depressions 26 therein for the purpose ofproviding clearance space for the conical ends of the ad usting screws10, as will more clearly appear below. After the ring 9 has beensuitably cut in the manner above described, it is tempered; the parts ormembers 13 become fiat springs and the ririg 9 itself becomes aresilient spring ring.

11 Fig. 4, the ring 9 is shown in position between the lugs 6 with thetapered ends of the set screws 10 in operativeposition. As shown in Fig.5, the set screws 10 are preferably arran ed in a somewhat staggeredrelation to position them respectively relatively adjacent the springs13. The set screws 10 are so positioned as to outwardly displace thefree ends of the springs 15 when the tapered portions of the set screwsare forced inwardly against the inner edge of the spring members 15. Ifthe middle web 14 of the ring 19 were not provided with the recess orcutaway portions 26, the tapered ends 24 of the adjusting screws 10might contact with the web 14, wed e between the webs 13 and 14, andprevent the ring from oscillating upon the axis provided by the setscrews or studs 15.

When a diaphragm is mounted in a sound box of the kind above indicatedand the stylus bar is in place with tension applied to the mounting 9,the adjustin of the tone or pitch of the diaphragm is e ected asfollows: The workman first ascertains whether or not thediaphragm somounted is sharp or flat; that is to say, whether its tone, when somounted, is above or below that which should be obtained from a standardsound box. If it be found that the tone is not correct, the proper setscrew 10, is forced further inwardly against the coacting spring 13 toexert a greater tension on the stylus bar, tending to throw the upperend of the stylus bar toward or away from the plane of the diaphragm. Ifthe tonal effect or pitch of the diaphragm is sharp, he adjusts one ofthe screws 10. If it is flat, he adjusts the other of the screws 10,until the correct or desired note or tone or pitch is attained. Thechange in the pitch of the diaphra may be intentionally carried toexcess; t at is to say, if the tone be flat, the proper adjusting screw10 may be forced inwardly until the tone finally obtained is sharp,whereu on the other set screw 10 is then adjusted inwardly to bring thepitch backto that which is desired or standard. After this is done, theset screws 10 are locked in ner, the adjusting screws 10 cooperate tomove the diaphragm into its true note position, and, after that is done,the parts are locked in proper position. i v

It is believed from the above that the steps by which the pitch ofthediaphragm is corrected has been made plain; one set screw oradjusting screw, 10, will correct sharpness when screwed inwardly andvice-versa,

set screws 15 by the needle 5 positioned in position by the lock nuts21. In this mantension adjusting members,

tion to each other I spring mem a sound record groove, the tapered ends24 of the set screws 10 are fixed in position and the edges of thespring portions 13 of the spring member 9 are in contact with thetapered portions 24 of the set screws 10 at theoretically a single pointof contact only. The tapered ends 24 of the set screws engage the freeends of the spring portions 13 at the free ends of the said springportions and on the inner edges only.

In Figs. 3 and 11,are illustrated two ways of positioning the set screws10. Fig. 11 shows the preferred form because the action of the conicalends 24 of the screws 10 against the springs 13 is a little more of adirect action than that present in the construction shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is: i w

' 1. A sound box comprising in combination a casing, a diaphragm thereinand a stylus bar attached thereto, means for operatively mounting thestylus bar including a continuous member surrounding the'st lus bar andhaving a plurality of independent disposed in opposite relaand meanssecured to said casing to vary the tension of said spring elements, saidmeans comprising adjustable members each havin a wedge-like portionadjacent one of sai spring elements, said means coacting with saidspring elements to tension said stylus bar in opposite directions.

2. A sound box comprising in combination a'diaphragm, and a connected stlus bar, amounting for said stylus bar including a continuous membersurrounding the stylus bar, pivot members forming a bearing for saidmember, said member having a plurality of spring members integraltherewith and coactin tensioning members for said %ers adapted to beadjustably spring elements positioned.

3. A sound box for sound reproducing machines, comprising in combinationa casing, a diaphragm therein, a stylus bar connected thereto, a ringconnected to and encircling said stylus bar, pivot members for said ringand secured to said casing and said ring being continuous and having aplurality of integral spring members, each .of which is free at one endand in contact adjacent said end with one of said tension adjusting members.

4. A sound box ,for sound re roducing machines, comprising incombination a cue ing, a diaphragm therein, a stylus bar connectedthereto, a ring connected to and encircling said stylus bar and havingball retaining sockets, a ball in each of said sockets,

axially adjustable. pivot members secured to said casing and cooperativewith said balls, and tension adjusting members, said ring therewith, amounting for said stylus bar comprising a ring member encircling saidstylus bar, pivot members forming a bearing 76 for said ring member,said ring member being split and two of its sections cut at oppositeperipheral points respectively to provide a plurality of independentsprin elements integral with said member an coacting tension members forsaid sprin ele: ments adapted to be independently an ad-. justablypositioned. v,

6. A sound box comprising in combination a casing, a diaphragm therein,a stylus bar connected at one end with said dia-" phragm, a mounting forsaid stylus bar adacent its opposite end comprising a split ring member,means for connecting said member and said stylus bar, means forsupporting said split member having adjustable tensioning means therein,said split ring member being split to form three independentlyrelatively movable portions, the outer portions being free at one endand adapted to be oppositely displaced by said ad'ustable tensioningmeans.

A sound box comprising in combination a casing, a. diaphragm therein anda stylus bar attached thereto, means for operatively mounting a stylusbar, includin a continuous member. surrounding sai stylus bar and havinga plurality of spring elements disposed in opposite relation to eachother and means secured to said casing to vary the tension of saidspringelements, said means comprising ad'ustable members each engaging one ofsai spring elements and coactm with said spring elements. to tensionsaid stylus bar in opposite directions.

8. In a sound box for sound reproducing machines, the combination of asound box casing, a diaphragm mounted therein, a stylus bar, a resilientring forming a mount- 115 ing for and surrounding said stylus bar, i,saidring being provided with a air of resilient members inte raltherewith, means -to (pivotally mount said ring on said casing,

sprtneigs integral with said member and loca be- 180 tween said recessesand adapted to be respectively flexed to tension said' stylus bar.

10. In a sound box for sound reproducing machines, the combination of asound box casing, a stylus bar, a substantially annular mounting forsaid stylus bar, means mounted on said casing to plvotally support anddiametrically compress said mounting said mounting being provided with apair 0% resilient members integral with the body portion of saidmounting and located on one side of a line passing through the pivotalaxis of said ring, an adjustable means to flex said members respectivelyin opposite directions. I a

11. A mounting for a stylus bar for a sound reproducing machine, comrising a resilient member adapted to e 81ttached to and to surround thestylus bar and provided with diametrically opposite surfaces upon whichsaid member is adapted to be pivotally supported for vibratlon, saidring being also rovided with a pair of springs integral with said memberand adapted to be respectively flexed in opposite directions to tensionthe stylus bar.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of May,1916.

ALBERT o. DIEHL.

It is hereb certified that'in Lottom Patoqt No. 1,350,596; nnb'ed Auust. 24; 1920; upon the ,appiih'tion of ,Albrt Diahl, of P anaauken,Nair-Jim f6 improvexfienfi in SouudI-Boxesjor'Timing-Machines," 1m @rfqM 51,

prihted spgcification correction as folIdwh t il ago 3, lina 130, did'jmgql,

lima' 1, claim 9, stfik out @he wqrda and ]oca td botwoefl said manual;and

the 5d mu hum mum be ma with cpl-faction therein mt Im'ay ooiiforin tolag-Bord of the in the Pa fgn t Oflioe.-

Signad and sealed thih zeal-da of September, L 11., 192i].

M, H. COULSTON! Acting 00mm 9 mm c1. 274-35.

